February 13, 2000

Gone to Ground, by Brandilyn Collins

A group of three desperate women end up working together as amateur detectives to solve the serial killings in their small town. During the process, they form an unlikely bond and work through various personal struggles. The suspense of a killer on the loose is balanced out with the development of their heartwarming friendship, as these three gals get to know each other while putting together the facts of this case.

The story switches back and forth between the three points-of-view of the women, with intermittent portions of a Pulitzer-prize-winning news article about the murders in between. Because the story only spans a few days, the transitions between voices is seamless and I never felt confused. Each woman's section is written in her own vernacular, which adds to the feeling of being right there, watching this all go down, listening to each of them tell me how it happened.

In true mystery form, certain well-placed clues threw me off track in my guesses as to the identity of the killer. I was pretty sure I knew several times, but still came out surprised by most of the ending. I enjoyed this book, which, apart from a few gory details about the murders, I'd classify as a light read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the netGalley.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.